IBS and Your Job

If you have to be at work everyday, you may be finding
complications in being able to concentrate on your work. You
may also be finding that you have to take several sick days to
recover from flares from your IBS.

In consequence, this may be affecting others in the work
relationship they have with you. Deciding how to deal with IBS
while at work can help you feel more comfortable with where you
are working and give you more options with dealing with the
syndrome.

One of the factors to consider about IBS in your work area
is whether you should tell anyone that you have IBS.

This is an important decision and may affect other options
in your work area. You may have feelings of being discriminated
against or that others may look at you differently. You also
may not want it to affect your work life by causing you
embarrassment or complications with others.

However, if your IBS is affecting your work, it
is important to let at least your supervisor know. If
you are under the care of a health professional, your insurance
clerk already knows.

Today, very few employers will discriminate against you
for having an illness that is being treated by a
physician. If you are self-diagnosed you cannot with
accuracy tell your employer that you have IBS. However,
that being said, depending on your job, your frequent trips to
the bathroom, may affect your ability to pull your share of the
work load. You may have to take a different position until you
have your IBS symptoms under control.

The major consideration that you will need to make is
whether IBS being talked about will provide you more comfort or
not. This can mostly be determined by the environment that you
are working in.

There are certain types of people who will be more
comfortable with the idea of IBS and will be understanding when
you explain the problem to them. They will be able to
provide you support to help deal with the problems.
If your work environment carries different types of
personalities it may not be advisable to talk about your
condition. Many people will not understand what IBS is,
and it may cause a negative atmosphere.

If you decide to tell others about your condition, you may
get several benefits. For example, if you need to take sick
time, others will understand why you are gone and will give you
the proper time off. Other times, you may find that you are not
alone in your work area with this condition, making it easier
to cope.

If there are office politics, this may also cause
complications, as your employer may use the IBS as an excuse to
not give you the same considerations as everyone else.

Knowing when to tell people in your work place about IBS is
important. It is also important to know how others will respond
to the situation.

It can be expected that some employees will understand your
condition, while others may have a problem understanding what
it is and why it is affecting your work. Deciding on who to
tell and whether to bring your chronic condition to the work
place should be considered from several aspects before deciding
who to confide in.